Ancient World Research Cluster (AWRC)

Among the Oxford colleges, Wolfson has no match in expertise of the Ancient World.

Thirteen Governing Body Fellows, several dozen emeritus, supernumerary, and research fellows, and more than 35 students work on a diverse range of topics covering most of the ancient world from Gibraltar to Japan and from the beginnings of civilization to the middle ages.

What is the Ancient World Research Cluster?

The AWRC is a Cluster created with the fundamental aim to support College members working on Ancient World topics at all stages of their careers and to promote interdisciplinary working and working across age groups and experience. The Cluster's areas of expertise cross a wide range of disciplines, geography, and periods from pre-history to around 1000 AD, and include Syriac studies, Assyriology, Indo-Iranian Philology, Sanskrit, linguistics, archaeological science, Classical Greek and Roman art and archaeology, to name just a few.

Activities

We fulfill our aims through grants, sponsorship of reseach events, and organisation of a variety of activities intended for both our members and the wider University and public, and through sponsoring projects which foster collaborations with other academic institutions, both within the University and around the world.

The Cluster runs a variety of events and offers funding opportunities throughout the year, generously supported by a gift from Baron Lorne Thyssen:

• two lunch meetings each term for all members of the Cluster, both fellows and students. These are followed by an after lunch talk delivered by, usually, a member of the Cluster and open to all.

• a termly "In Conversation" event. The aim of this series, inaugurated in 2018, is to showcase the work of some of our many distinguished members and to reach out to the wider University and local community.

• grants for members of the cluster supporting workshops, field work, short-term projects, etc through the Lorne Thyssen Fund for Ancient World Topics. Click here for further details.

• the Lorne Thyssen Scholarship: a fully-funded graduate scholarship for a DPhil in an area of Ancient World Studies. Cllck here for further details.

• alongside the regular programme, there are special events each term, in connection with major research projects hosted by the college, special exhibitions, anniversaries, or visits of distinguished guests to Oxford. See the Ancient World Cluster Calendar for upcoming events.

Members can access Cluster funding and participate in Cluster-only activities. A good number of events are open to all and are advertised through a dedicated mailing list. To join the list, please email Dr Diana Rodríguez Pérez

Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the financial support of Lorne Thyssen-Bornemisza, Chris Levett, the Leon Levy Foundation and Thames and Hudson, and the strategic help from Philip Kay.

All are warmly invited to join the AMREF team for Afternoon Tea in the UCR. In the light of International Mother Language Day which takes place on 21 February 2019, we invite you to bring cake, snacks and sweets from your own country to share with each other!

£1.25 donation for a slice of cake plus tea/coffee, charged on Bod card or through cash donations. All proceeds go to AMREF Health Africa.